Comments on: Electrical Connections For LEDs https://blog.model-train-help.com/2019/01/electrical-connections-leds.html?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=electrical-connections-leds Model railroads and model trains Sun, 27 Jan 2019 16:09:24 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 By: Bert linkonis https://blog.model-train-help.com/2019/01/electrical-connections-leds.html#comment-27387 Sun, 27 Jan 2019 16:09:24 +0000 http://blog.model-train-help.com/?p=5094#comment-27387 In reply to David Broad.

David: Thanks for the insight. Once I get started and become familiar with what I am doing, the task should become easy. For now, it will be a learning process.

]]> By: David Broad https://blog.model-train-help.com/2019/01/electrical-connections-leds.html#comment-27328 Thu, 24 Jan 2019 12:30:30 +0000 http://blog.model-train-help.com/?p=5094#comment-27328 Apart from older Clear LEDs the vast majority of LEDs work on 3 volts. Clears needed 5 volts. If you use 12 or 9 volts on an LED it will burn very bright before emitting smoke and dying. The safe way to test LEDs is to put a pair of tired AA or AAA batteries which glow dimly in your flash light in a battery holder and connect the LED across them. They are marked + ve and -Ve and the max voltage will be less than the LEDs Vf anyway. If it doesn’t light turn it round.
Don’t use fully charged batteries especially rechargables as you can get impressive results if you short them out. I wouldn’t risk 9 volts or 12 volts or anything requiring resistors unless it was built into a test rig. Too easy to bypass the resistor and blow up the LEDs

]]> By: Bert Linkonis https://blog.model-train-help.com/2019/01/electrical-connections-leds.html#comment-27308 Wed, 23 Jan 2019 15:12:46 +0000 http://blog.model-train-help.com/?p=5094#comment-27308 Philip/Dale: Thanks for your comments. I will heed your advice and proceed with due caution.

]]> By: Dale Arends https://blog.model-train-help.com/2019/01/electrical-connections-leds.html#comment-27300 Wed, 23 Jan 2019 05:19:45 +0000 http://blog.model-train-help.com/?p=5094#comment-27300 LEDs are pretty tough. As diodes, they are fine with reversed voltage as long as it isn’t beyond the rated voltage. You can just connect the battery and if the LEDs don’t light up, reverse the connection.

Don’t go more than the 2 AA batteries since the LEDs are probably rated at 3 volts.

]]> By: Philip Gray https://blog.model-train-help.com/2019/01/electrical-connections-leds.html#comment-27299 Wed, 23 Jan 2019 05:11:47 +0000 http://blog.model-train-help.com/?p=5094#comment-27299 Bert, I have also used these micro LED’s by seperating them from the strand. by cutting the wires flush with one side. You must test them with a DC source of known polarity and determine the correct polarity. You can use a 9 volt battery as a known source. Caution, whatever the source you use you must use a series resister to limit the current draw. I use a 1000 ohm resister. 1/8 watt will do. Attach the source, if it lights you are OK. If it does not, reverse the polarity, it should light. Be aware that the wire in these strings is insulated and must be removed to solder. These work good as headlights, also use a series diode to protect the LED when running in reverse. Phil G.

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